Attachment for stringed instruments



July 1o, 1923- '1,461,636

E. S. TANQUARY ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed April 14 1922 2` Sheets-Sheet 2 Ebner Tanmmj 35% ym,

Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER S. TANQUARY, OF LAWBENGEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed April 14, 1922.

clear, and enact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to stringed musical instruments of that type in which the performer causes the strings to vibrate by striking or picking them with the lingers or a picking device held in the ngers. It relates more particularly to an attachment to facilitate playing of Hawaiian music on a guitar or similar` instrumentwhere the performer holds in the left hand a steel and in the right hand a picker that is moved across the strings while the steel held in the left hand is applied to the strings along the neck of the instrument to produce various chords.V In playing instruments of this character in the manner referred to the performer cannot properly fret the strings to produce true chords.

An object of the present invent-ion is to enable true chords to be produced while playing stringed instruments in the manner described. In my Patent 1,302,451, patented April 29, 1919, I have described a. means by which the strings may be fretted during the playingof an instrument with both hands in the customary manner of rendering Hawaiian music. In the device described in that patent a support independent ofthe instrument was associated with a stop device so that by swaying the instrument during rendition of the music the stop devicewould be caused to press down different strings of the instrument whereby to produce different chords when those strings were swept by the fingers or picking device. In this improvement I have provided a stop device attached to the instrument and free of external support, the stop device being disposed in position to be controlled and operated by the wrist or palm of the hand adjacent its junction with the wrist without interfering with the freedom of motion of the fingers of that hand used in picking' the strings.

In the accompanying drawings in which Serial No. 552,488.

like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Eigure l is a plan view of a guitar equipped with this improvement;

Figure 2 is a. side elevaton of the body thereof;

Fgure 3 is a fragmentary cross section through the strings and sound board of a guitar on the line of Figure 2, showing the stop device in normal position;

Figure ais a similar section showing the i improved stop depressed upon three of the strings;

Figures 5 and 6 are similar sections showing other working positions of the stop.

In order to exemplify the invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings one -way in which it may be embodied in an ordinary guitar. in which l represents thel body, 2 the neck, 3 the tail piece and elthe bridge, the strings 5 being attached to the tail piece and stretched across the bridge to the tuning' pegs. @n the sound board of the guitar body, adjacent the bridge, are two supplemental frets or fretting means 6 and T. These frets 6 and 7 are spaced from the bridge the exact distance that the first two frets are ordinarily spaced from the nut of the guitar. The strings of cours@ extend' ovel` these frets without touching them. In the drawing I have indicated an ordinary so-called Hawaiian tuning. Fret 6 is arranged beneath the string marked Ct and fret 'T is placed beneath the strings marked A, and E. The edge of the fret 7 is depressed a little lower than the edge of the fret 6.

Overlying the strings A, C#- and E is the stop device indicated as a whole by the numeral 8. The stop device may be any movable means attachedto the `guitar in any suitable manner so as to remain normally out of contact with the strings but susceptible of being depressed by the forearm` wrist, or heel of the hand in such manner as to press different combinations of the strings A, C# and E into contact with the frets 6 or 7 whereby different chords may be produced by s feeping strings A, C# and For purposes of illustration I have shown the stop device as comprising a body 9 having manipulating extensions or huttons IO and ll on its upper surface and stop elements l2 and 13 on its under surface the stop element l2 being of suoli a length as to engage only one string at a time, to wit,

. stop element 12 the string C# while the stop element 13 is of such a length as to engage all three strings A, C# and E simultaneously when evenly depressedl upon them. The described stop body 9 may be supported in any suitable manner from the guitar body so that it is normally held free of the strings but may be depressed bodily into contact with the three strings at once or may be so ma'- nipulated as to depress the strings C# and E or A and Cgi'. The body 9 is shown connected to and supported by a spring or elastic wire 14 having a lateral clamping device 15 adapted to embrace the tail piece and having an offset fulcrum point 16 adapted to engage the sound board of the guitar and holdthe stop device lnormally free of the strings. The supporting string 14 elastically resists both bending and torsional forces. Obviously the `mode of attachmentwould have to be different on guitars or other instruments without a tail piece. Stop elements 12 and 13 are so disposed with respect to the frets 6 and 7 that they may respectively press upon the strings rearward of the frets and depress them into contact with said frets.

lVith the attachment in place as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the stop elements 12 and 13 out of contact with the strings, the first or tonic chord may be obtained by sweeping the strings which underlie the stop device, `By pressing down 01.1 ,the manipulator or button 11, as indicated in Figure 5, thestop element 13 depresses the string A into engagement with the fret 7 and the presses the string marked C# into contact with the fret 6 whereby, by sweeping the strings, a second chord be obtained. By pressing down the but-ton or manipulator 10 so as to bring the opposite end of the stop element 13 into contact with the string marked E and the stop element 12 into contact with the string marked Gili, strings A and C# will be depressed into contact with the frets 7 and 6. respectively, and a third chord may be obtained. By pressing the stop device uniformly and evenly down against the rstrings tne stop element. 13 will depress all three of the strings into contact with the fret 7, whereby a fourth chord-the accidentalmay be obtained. Thus three extra chord ,changes may be had by the use of this improved fretting device and they may be produced without interfering withv the fingers of the performer properly picking the strings and without the use of any eX- ternal device vas shown in my prior patent.

The added frets may be of wood or any material found suitable for the purpose. prefer to make the stop elements 12 and 13 of rubber or rubber composition and the block 9 of wood, although other materials may be used.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a stringed instrument of the type in which the strings are adapted to be vibrated by the fingers of the performer, fretting means on the instrument, a stop device, a support attached to the instrument for holding said stop device normally out of contact with the strings but so mounted as to be .bodily depressed and also rocked, to cause selected strings to engage the frets, by the arm or wrist of'. the performer without interfering with the freedom of movement of the fingers in playing the instrument.

2. A stringed instrument of the type in which the strings are adapted to be vibrated by the fingers of the performer, fretting means on the body of the instrument adyacent to the bridge, stop means elastica ly held above the strings adjacent the fretting means so Vas Vto be bodily depressed and also rocked and adapted to be depressed upon selected strings by the arm orV wrist of the performer without interfering with the movement of the fingers in picking the strings.

3. In a stringed instrument of the type i-n which the strings are vibrated by the fingers of the performer, two frets suitably spaced from the bridge at the bridge .end of the body, stop means elastically held above the frets and above the strings, and so mounted as to be bodily depressed and also rocked, and means whereby the stop means may be depressed upon selected strings by the arm of the performer without interfering with the freedom of movement of the fingers in picking the strings. i

4. In a'stringed instrument of the type in which the strings are adapted to be vibrated by the fingers of the performer, a fret on the body of the instrument adjacent the bridge and underlying one of the strings, a second fret spaced from the first named fret and underlying the two strings on each side of the first named string, a stop device elastically held above said strings, and means whereby said stop device maybe manipulated by the arm or wrist of the performer so as to fret selected combinations of the strings to permit -the sounding of dierent `chords Without interfering with the freedom of the fingers used in playing.

15. In a stringed instrument of the type 1n which the strings are adapted to be vibrated by the fingers of the performer, two frets suitably spaced at different distances from the bridge the fret nearest the bridge underlying one string and the other fret suitably spaced therefrom underlying said string and the two .upon opposite sides thereof, the edge of the second fret being slightly lower than the edge of the first fret, a stop device having two stop elements, one

adapted to engage the string adjacent the first named fret and the other adapted to engage the strings adjacent the second named fret, and means for elastically retaining the stop device above the strings so as to permit it to be depressed into Contact with the strings or rocked to either side by the arm or Wrist of the performer whereby different chords may be produced Without interfering with the freedom of movement or' the fingers used in playing.

6. In an instrument having strings stretched over a bridge at one end and frets beneath said strings at the other end and in which the strings are adapted to be vibrated by the fingers of a performer; the combination of additional fretting means adjacent the bridge, stop means and a yieldable support attached to the instrument adapted to hold said stop means normally out of con` tact With the strings, said stop means being disposed in position and adapted to press selected strings into Contact with said additional fretting means, said stop means having manipulating means disposed in position beneath the Wrist of a performer when bis hand is in position to pick the strings.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature ELMER S, TANQUARY. 

